‘Drop her and strip her silver.’

The Nothos released her and the girl collapsed in a heap upon the carpet. It reached down, hooked its claws beneath the glittering chains skirting her neck, and yanked the links free. Wisps of smoke trailed off its skin. It growled softly but kept on until the remnant’s ears, wrists, fingers, and navel were decontaminated. Lastly, it removed the two etched bands circling the ends of her horns. After depositing the offensive metal into a bin, the Nothos bowed slightly, lacerated palms up, then walked backward until it exited the plane.

Tatiana fought the urge to smile. This would be most enjoyable. She bent over the tangle of blue-gray skin and lean muscle cowering on the floor and traced a finger down one of the girl’s slim horns. Blood welled from the scratches and tears in the hybrid’s skin where the silver had once been. Fresh need clawed Tatiana’s throat, but she’d never stooped to feed from a remnant before, and she was not about to start.

She rapped a nail against the horn. A circle of tarnish shadowed where the silver adornment had sat. The girl’s gaze was empty of emotion. Almost dead. ‘You do not fear me?’

The girl’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. Her fingers moved, fluttering against each other like dying moths.

‘Ah yes, that’s right. You’re a mute, aren’t you?’ Tatiana sighed. ‘You mongrels are such a bother. Yes or no questions it is.’

She seized the girl by the horn and jerked her up until her feet came off the carpet. Tatiana’s robe ruffled against her legs with the sudden movement. ‘Lie to me, and I’ll kill you. Understood?’

The remnant stayed still. Perhaps she realized Tatiana planned to kill her anyway.

‘Very well. Let’s begin, shall we?’ Tatiana tossed her into one of the seats bordering the cabin and brushed her hands off. ‘I’m looking for a rogue comarré and the vampire that’s helping her. Have you seen—’

‘Mistress!’ The Nothos’s voice screeched like a bird of prey’s. It bounded back into the cabin. ‘We have company.’

‘So deal with it.’

‘Yes, mist—’ A silver dagger lodged in its windpipe. Blood and smoke leaked from the edges of the Nothos’s stretched mouth. It yanked the blade free, then gargled, ‘Shadeux,’ before leaping out of the cabin.

Shadeux fae. Tatiana rushed to the door. The Nothos grappled with an unseen force, its head snapping back, its punches finding only air. Bloody bollocks. She reached to shut the door, then thought again. She needed more than a closed door to slow the intruder down. Scooping up the discarded silver blade, she ignored its searing heat, hauled the remnant up by her hair, and plunged the weapon into the girl’s chest. The remnant jerked, her mouth gaping in a silent cry of pain.

‘Here, shadeux!’ Tatiana held the girl in front of the open door. ‘Come get what you came for.’ She shoved the girl down the stairs, then slammed the door and locked it. Clenching her stinging fist, she ran back to the bedroom.

‘Mikkel, get up.’ She tore the covers from his body and slapped him. ‘Wake up.’

He mumbled something unintelligible.

Sluggard. ‘Wake up. We’ve got to get out of here. Now.’

‘Um hmm … ’ He rolled over.

She grabbed his ankle and whipped his nude body off the mattress. His head smacked the floor with a hard thunk.

He curled upright, clutching his head. ‘What the hell?’

‘There’s a shadeux fae in the hangar. The Nothos is probably dead or about to be. Get in the cockpit now or I will tear your arms off and beat you to a pulp with them.’

Mikkel rose to his feet, grabbed his discarded leather pants, and tugged them on. ‘Is the hangar door open?’

‘No, you’ll have to drive through it.’

‘I can’t drive through it.’ His exasperated tone grated on her already fraying nerves. ‘Not if you want the plane to still be air-worthy.’

She planted her hands on her hips. ‘Then I suggest you get out there and open it.’

He smiled like he’d just won a prize. ‘I don’t need to, my sweet. I can do that from right here.’ He thrust out one hand and a ball of black fire danced over his palm.

The tension drained out of her, and she smiled back. At last something was going her way. Mikkel really was worth his weight in blood. She leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. ‘Then let’s get out of here, darling.’

His hands cupped her backside. ‘What about the old bag?’

‘She’s coming back with us.’ Tatiana nipped his bottom lip, piercing the tender skin. ‘Once her niece returns to Corvinestri to save her aunt, I’ll have the blood whore seized and put on trial.’ She sucked at the wound. ‘I will be Elder before the blood dries on the executioner’s sword.’

Chrysabelle stood at the bedside, staring down at Mal. After two hours of examining the suite, she’d finally given in to her curiosity. There was nothing else as interesting in the room anyway. His claims of not sleeping like he was dead seemed a bit over-reaching. He looked exactly like every sleeping vampire she’d ever seen. Not that those numbers were so high. Vampires typically slept under pretty heavy security, considering the near paralysis daysleep put them in.

She pursed her mouth. He didn’t truly look exactly like every sleeping vampire she’d ever seen. He looked nothing like Algernon, who’d been turned well into his later years and bore the according lines and touches of gray.